During Make-A-Wish week, Palmer Ridge High School held several events to raise funds for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. These events included a scavenger hunt, Air360, and Mr. PR, a men’s beauty pageant that has been running for the past 12 years and is the biggest fundraising event for Make-A-Wish. Senior boys compete for the title of Mr. PR every year by performing in group dances, interviews, talent shows, and a beauty contest. The audience then votes for the best boy by donating in their name to the foundation. This year’s competition was very intense with 10 candidates, but only 8 boys performed. The boys spent a lot of time learning the ins and outs of Mr. PR by mastering group dances, practicing their talent, and polishing their interview skills.

The Wish committee, run by Aubrey Maul, organized and ran the whole fundraiser event, raising around $3,000 through physical and online donations. Unfortunately, this amount is about half of what was raised compared to last year’s competition. Palmer Ridge’s Wish Week faced some challenges, with snow in the forecast, which extended the fundraising event into the next week to ensure that Maren, the 6-year-old wish kid who wished to become a princess at Disney World, had every opportunity to receive donations.

There were some issues with the organization of Mr. PR, such as the sound being too loud and the lights cutting out. There was also disorganization backstage and onstage. While the boys were practicing their group dances in their off time, some boys seemed confused and uninterested. Although this event is meant to be entertaining, some years perform better than others. There were very long intermissions between the acts to collect donations and votes, which left the audience bored and lacking interest. This year’s competition felt rushed and unorganized compared to past years, which may be due to the lack of participation from senior boys and the snow days interfering with the date of the show.

Despite these issues, the Palmer Ridge student body and Monument community showed great participation and support for this event. The auditorium was packed with fans, and there were many laughs throughout the acts. The boys showed off their talents by singing, dancing, and performing a Disney tribute mashup. Jonny Wilson was the runner-up to the title of Mr. PR, but Jaden Frank was crowned the winner. Overall, this event went well, despite a few bumps in the road. The community is eagerly anticipating next year’s competition for the title of Mr. PR.